POPLARVILLE, Miss. — The No. 9 Pearl River softball team made sure that its sophomore day was a memorable one. With an 8-2 game one victory and a 5-1 game two win over East Mississippi, the Wildcats hit the 40-win mark for the first time in program history. The Wildcats also end the season with a perfect 20-0 record at Wildcat Stadium.

"I'm so proud of this sophomore class. I really can't say enough about them," Pearl River coach Christie Meeks said. "They love Pearl River. Not just Pearl River softball but the entire school. They support everyone on this campus. I'm really proud of them."

GAME ONE
Pearl River (40-11 overall; 22-6 MACCC) got off to a hot start as Natalie Herrington (Petal) needed just seven pitches to retire East Mississippi (11-37; 8-20) in the first. Although the Wildcats had a runner in scoring position in their half of the inning, they were unable to get her home. 

The Wildcats put up a nice four-spot in the second inning. With Dallyn Nance (Nanih Waiya) and Jena Pacheco (Vancleave) on base, Natalie Toups (Brandon; Clinton Christian Academy) drew a walk. The throw back to the pitcher from the EMCC catcher got away and allowed Nance to cross the plate. Morgan Lavergne (Baton Rouge, La.; Central) stepped to the plate next and sent the sixth pitch of her at-bat the opposite way for her team-leading ninth homer of the season and a 4-0 lead.

The Lions got one back in the top of the third by way of a Wildcat miscue, but two great defensive plays soon after helped keep the score at 4-1. A ball was grounded back to Herrington who looked the runner back at third before firing to first for the out. The runner at third dashed for home plate, but Julianah Overstreet (Vancleave) threw home for the tag and a double play. One batter later, EMCC smashed a line drive that was destined for the right field line but Overstreet jumped and plucked the ball out of the air for the out.

PRCC matched the run in their half of the third when CharLee Meadows (Piave; Greene County) laced a single along the ground and into left field, 5-1. 

An EMCC run scored in the fourth on back-to-back Wildcat errors, 5-2. 

Nance sent her second home run of the year over the left field wall in the fifth inning to build on the PRCC lead, 6-2. A few batters later, Lavergne sent out her second homer of the day. The two-run shot was her 10th long ball of the season and made the score 8-2.

Herrington tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on three hits. She struck out six batters.

Lavergne finished the game 2-for-3 with two homers and five RBIs. Gary was 2-for-3 with a walk.

GAME TWO
The first inning for the Wildcats went about as well as it could have. Starter Brinson Anne Rogers (Statesboro, Ga.) retired the first three batters with a pair of strikeouts to send PRCC to the plate. Lavergne continued her phenomenal day by sending a 2-0 pitch over the wall for her third homer of the series. Destiney Gary (Greenwell Springs, La.; Central) laced a single up the middle in her plate appearance and Overstreet followed it by mashing a towering two-run homer over the left field wall to increase the PRCC lead to 3-0.

In the fourth inning, Marisa West (Citronelle, Ala.; LeRoy) scored on a wild pitch and Meadows brought home a run with an RBI single, 5-0.

EMCC scored a run in a rare way in the sixth inning. The Lions laced a sinking line drive into left field that got past the diving Wildcat left fielder. The runner dashed all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park homer, 5-1.

Rogers worked around two leadoff base runners in the top of the seventh to close out the game 5-1 to secure the sweep.

Rogers threw a complete game, striking out 15 and allowing one run on four hits and one walk.

Overstreet was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and one run scored.

UP NEXT
Pearl River returns to action Tuesday for its first game of the Region 23 Tournament. The Wildcats will take on Northeast at 4:30 p.m. in Ellisville. All of the games will be livestreamed at JCBobcats.com/watch. An official bracket will be released when it is available.

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